Business
Transfer test: Children from Belfast low income families to be given free tuition
Sebastian GriffithsBBC News NI
PA MediaSome children, from low-income families in Belfast, are to get free transfer test tuition from a new centre aiming to “level the playing field”.
The new Foodstock Education and Empowerment Centre, aims to improve outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the city.
It will provide free, high quality tuition and wellbeing support for primary pupils in years six and seven.
One of those backing the centre is former world champion boxer Carl Frampton who spoke at the centre’s launch.
PA Media“My own child is going through the test and I know how stressful it can be,” Frampton told BBC News NI.
“There are kids that have ability but just need a bit of help. It’s stressful for me and I am lucky to be comfortable financially but there are others struggling so much – this is just about giving kids who are able opportunities.”
Frampton also praised the cross-community aspect of the centre and the importance of the facility being situated in the city centre.
“You know what this place is like – it can be very tribal, and people maybe don’t want to go here or there or whatever,” he said.
“But to have a central location willing to help anybody that needs their help, I just think it’s an amazing thing.”
‘Removing barriers when it comes to education’
The new centre will provide weekly small group tuition in English, Maths and reasoning to prepare children for the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) tests.
More than 60 post-primary schools across Northern Ireland use the test to decide which pupils to admit into year eight.
A paper by Queen’s University in 2022 claimed that academic selection perpetuated division in wider society in Northern Ireland and “disadvantages the already most disadvantaged”.
Foodstock founder Paul Doherty said it will “tackle the longer impacts of poverty through education” and will “empower people to better their lives”.
“A lot of people say because of financial difficulties they cannot afford additional tuition and they are pulling their child out of the transfer test,” he said.
“We talk about removing barriers when it comes to hunger through breakfast programmes – this is removing other barriers when it comes to education”.
One to one support will also be provided for children facing particular challenges.
Eligibility will be for pupils that need it most such as those from areas of high deprivation or low income families.
Foodstock said private tuition doubled the likelihood of attending a grammar school, but disadvantaged children were less able to finance it.
Its tuition programme will help “level the playing field for children across Belfast”, it said.
Foodstock’s director of strategy Ciaran Toman said he believed the centre will “reach people right across the city regardless of community” with the overall aim to “benefit as many children as possible”.
He added that it could help give “equal opportunity to those who are less fortunate and that the centre can plug that gap for disadvantaged children”.
The wait is finally over for over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners. The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has officially approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The Commission is expected to submit its recommendations within 18 months from the date of its formation. (Image: AI-Generated)
The Central Pay Commission is set up every few years to review and revise salary structures, retirement benefits, and service conditions. (Image: AI-Generated)
Historically, a new Pay Commission is implemented roughly every 10 years. (Image: AI-Generated)
The salary hike depends largely on the fitment factor, which is a multiplier used to calculate the revised basic pay. In the 7th Pay Commission, the fitment factor was 2.57, raising the minimum basic salary from Rs 6,000 to Rs 18,000. (Image: AI-Generated)
For the 8th Pay Commission, different fitment factors are being considered. Here’s how they could impact salaries: if the fitment factor is set at 1.83, the basic salary could rise from Rs 18,000 to around Rs 32,940. A slightly higher factor of 1.86 would increase it to Rs 33,480. However, if the government applies a more generous fitment factor of 2.47, the revised basic pay could reach Rs 44,460. These figures help illustrate how significantly the fitment factor influences salary revisions under the Pay Commission. (File Photo)
Gross salary includes Basic Pay, Dearness Allowance (DA) – linked to inflation, revised twice a year, and House Rent Allowance (HRA) – based on city category (30% for metro cities, 20% for Tier-2 cities, and 10% for Tier-3 cities). (Image: AI-Generated)
Let’s calculate the gross salary using a fitment factor of 2.47 and assuming: Basic Pay: Rs 44,460; DA: Rs 0 (for simplicity); HRA (30% for metro): Rs 13,338. The New Gross Salary = Basic Pay + DA + HRA, which is 44,460 + 0 + 13,338 = Rs 57,798. (Image: AI-Generated)
Business
Aadhaar Card Update: Is Aadhaar A Proof Of Date Of Birth Or Citizenship? Govt Issues Clarification
New Delhi: The Ministry of Communications has issued a latest circular on clarification on the Properties and Usage of Aadhaar by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The three-point clarification was issues regarding the properties and permissible usage of the Aadhaar number and related documents.
UIDAI said that an Aadhaar number may be used for establishing the identity of the Aadhaar number holder subject to authentication or offline verification.
Further, Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof, is not a proof of citizenship or domicile in respect of Aadhaar number holder.
UIDAI also added that Aadhaar number is not a proof of date of birth and hence, must not be used for establishing the date of birth of the Aadhaar number holder conclusively.
Members of the NASUWT union are set to be balloted on industrial action over class contact time.
The union accused the Scottish Government of failing to meet the SNP manifesto commitment ahead of the 2021 election of reducing contact time by one-and-a-half hours per week.
Announcing the move, NASUWT national official for Scotland Mike Corbett said teachers are “arguably worse off in terms of workload” than before the last election.
“The commitment on class contact time was a recognition by the Scottish Government that additional time away from the classroom was necessary to give teachers sufficient time and space to plan, prepare and assess pupils’ work in order to help students achieve their best and raise attainment.
“Since 2024 we’ve had agreements to work ‘at pace’ and the establishment of working groups by the Scottish Government and Cosla to make meaningful progress on class contact time reduction.
“But the reality is that teachers today are arguably worse off in terms of their workloads and working hours than they were in 2021 when this commitment was first made.
“A reduction in class contact time is as needed now, if not more so, than in 2021.
“It is regrettable that we have been forced to declare a trade dispute and move to a ballot in order to try to force the Government to give teachers the working conditions it itself acknowledges they require to do the job effectively.”
The union’s general secretary Matt Wrack said it had “exhausted all avenues” to reduce contact time, adding: “Where ministers and employers continue to fail our teachers, we will stand up for their right to working conditions which would enable them to deliver the highest quality of learning for our children and young people.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have been clear that reducing class contact will help support the time and space necessary for teachers, to allow them to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for their pupils.
“We are committed to working with teaching unions and Cosla to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time at pace.
“That is why we are providing local authorities with increased funding of £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers – this additional funding was agreed to by local government on the understanding that they make ‘meaningful progress’ with reducing class contact.
“Ministers respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, but are disappointed that the NASUWT has taken this action while these constructive discussions are ongoing.”
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